ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Special Service and Features
Introduction of Mahila Samman Savings Certificate, 2023 by India Post
The Ministry of Finance has recently launched the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate, 2023 also locally named in Tamil as “மகளிர் மதிப்பு திட்டம்” on 31.03.2023 to commemorate “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” and can be opened in Post offices now. To enhance the Nari Shakti of the country, this is a one-time new small savings scheme and will be available upto 31.03.2025 only.
An account under this scheme can be opened by a woman for herself or by the guardian on behalf of minor girl child. The scheme offers a higher interest rate of 7.5% p.a which will be compounded quarterly and credited into the account. An account can be opened with minimum of Rs.1000/- and any sum in multiples of one hundred rupees. No subsequent deposit shall be allowed in that account. An individual may open any number of accounts subject to the maximum limit of Rs.2,00,000/- and a time gap of three months shall be maintained between the existing account and the opening of other account. Partial withdrawal upto 40% of eligible balance can be availed after the expiry of one year from the date of opening of the account.
The account will mature after 2 years from the date of opening. Premature closure of the account may be permitted, any time after the completion of 6 months from the date of opening of the account for any reason and in such cases interest payable shall be two percent less than the rate specified for the scheme i.e.5.5%. Nomination facility is also available for the account.
This scheme is a commendable initiative by the Government to empower women and promote their financial independence. As the scheme yields high returns on investment in a short span of 2 years, it will definitely increase women investors especially in rural areas. In just 10 days after the introduction of scheme, 840 accounts have been opened under Chennai City Region with deposit amount of Rs.11.72 Crores. Women and parents of girl children may approach their nearby Post office and open an account to avail its exclusive benefits. For further details, please visit www.indiapost.gov.in.
This is stated in a statement by G.Natarajan, Postmaster General, Chennai City Region.
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Prime Minister's Office
PM bows to Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, on Guru Nanak Jayanti
PM bows to Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, on Guru Nanak Jayanti
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has bowed to Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, on Guru Nanak Jayanti
"On Guru Nanak Jayanti we bow to the venerable Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and recall his noble thoughts", the Prime Minister said.
Prime Minister's Office
PM condoles loss of lives in the bus accident in Uttarkashi; announces ex-gratia relief for the victims of accident
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has expressed pain over the loss of lives in the bus accident at Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.
“My prayers and solidarity with those who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate bus accident in Uttarkashi. May the injured recover soon.”, the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakhs from PMNRF for the next of kin of those killed and Rs. 50,000 for those seriously injured in the bus accident.
Ministry of Electronics & IT
MyGov, in collaboration with IHM, Pusa launches ‘YUVA PRATIBHA – Culinary Talent Hunt’ tomorrow
To reflect on India's rich culinary heritage and understand the value and significance of what it can offer to the world in terms of taste, health, traditional knowledge, ingredients and recipes, MyGov, in collaboration with IHM, Pusa is launching ‘YUVA PRATIBHA - Culinary Talent Hunt’ tomorrow, May 12, 2023.
With an aim to create awareness and increase the production and consumption of millet, the year 2023 has been declared as the ‘International Year of the Millets’ by the United Nations, following a proposal by India, to position itself as a global hub for millet. Millets have been an integral part of our diet for centuries.
The purpose of this competition is to bring out the lost recipes and promote the culinary talents of young and aspiring chefs and home cooks. The fusion of millets in this competition provides a unique opportunity for participants to showcase their creativity and innovation in cooking with healthy and sustainable ingredients, promoting awareness about their versatility.
Aim & Objective:
- To promote culinary talent of Indian youth.
- To create awareness of the contribution of nutri-cereals  for food security and nutrition.
- To promote national outreach of millets.
- To incorporate millets in food preparation.
How to Participate:
- Log in to https://innovateindia.mygov.in/
- The contest is open for the citizens of India within a age group of 18 to 40 years.
- All entries must be submitted on the MyGov portal. Entries submitted through any other mode will not be considered for evaluation.
- Dish/Recipe should be home cooked, wherein 50 per cent of the ingredients should be of millets.
- Participants have to submit 3 photographs:  photo of the ingredients used;  photo of the dish prepared and  photo of the participant along with the dish.
- Description of the Dish should be precise and clear with all the steps involved.
- The contest will be available in Hindi & English.
- One participant can participate only once in the contest.
- Top 3 Winners will be announced in the Finale  in New Delhi.
Reward & Recognition:
- 1st Winner: ₹ 1,00,000/- + Trophy + Certificate
- 2nd Winner: ₹ 75,000/- + Trophy + Certificate
- 3rd Winner: ₹ 50,000/- + Trophy + Certificate
- Following 12 Contestants  will be rewarded with a Cash Prize of ₹5,000 /- each
Mentorship: Top three Winners will be mentored by Executive Chefs for a period of one month with a mentorship stipend, if the winner’s city is different from the city of mentor.
MyGov is inviting citizens to come and participate in the contest and earn recognition on the National level. Visit https://innovateindia.mygov.in/culinary-challenge/ for more details.
PIB Headquarters
RAPTI SAGAR EXPRESS RESCHEDULED
Train No. 12512 Thiruvananthapuram – Gorakhpur Raptisagar express, scheduled to leave Thiruvananthapuram Central at 06.10 hrs on 15th February 2017, is rescheduled to start at 03.00 hrs on 16th Februaryn2017, due to late running of pairing train.
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Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
Sustainable Agricultural Practices
Government has been promoting organic farming in the country since 2015-16 through the schemes of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana  and Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region . Both the schemes provides end to end support to farmers engaged in organic farming i.e. from production to processing, certification and marketing and post harvest management support. PKVY is being implemented in all the States other-than North Eastern States, across the country. MOVCDNER scheme is implemented exclusively in the NE States. A total of Rs. 2679.96 crore has been released under PKVY and MOVCDNER from 2015-16 till date in 2022-23 to support chemical free organic farming in the country.
Under PKVY, farmers of various states of the country are provided financial assistance of Rs 50000/ha for 3 years out of which, Rs 31000/ ha / 3 years is provided directly to farmers through DBT for on-farm and off-farm organic inputs. Financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh/ cluster of 1000 ha for 3 years are provided for value addition and infrastructure creation.
Since 2015-16, under PKVY, 11.85 lakh ha area has been covered under organic farming by developing 32384 clusters involving 16.19 lakh farmers. In addition, 8 states developed their own brands for organic products. So far, Rs 1793.80 Crore has been released under the scheme.
Under MOVCDNER, an assistance of Rs. 46,575/ha for 3 years is provided for creation of FPO, support to farmers for organic inputs, quality seeds/ planting material and training, hand holding and certification. Financial assistance @ Rs 32500/ ha for 3 years is provided to farmers for on- farm /off –farm organic inputs under the scheme.
Since 2015-16, under MOVCDNER, 1.73 lakh ha area has been covered under organic farming by developing 379 FPO/FPCs involving 1.89 lakh farmers. In addition, 7 NE developed their own brands for organic products. So far, Rs 886.16 Crore has been released under the scheme.
Indiscriminate use of Fertilizers and Agro-Chemicals in agriculture sector has led to deterioration of health of soil, water resources and bio diversity. Hence, priorities in agriculture is gradually shifting from production to resource conservation, restoration of soil health and fertility, minimizing the adverse impact on soil and environment.
Government is promoting organic agriculture in a phased manner with support to farmers for transformation and through research for development of package and practices promising comparable productivity. ICAR-All India Network Project on organic farming has developed organic package of practices for 68 cropping systems promising comparable productivity to provide technological backup to farmers. Through capacity building, training and hand-holding, these packages are being promoted. So far, more than 59.12 lakh hectare area has been transformed to organic and it has no effect on overall productivity in the country.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Development of North-East Region
Enhancing supply chain management through NERCRMS initiative- a registered society under the aegis of Ministry of DoNER Govt.
Konsa hamlet is in the Longding District of Arunachal Pradesh. Pongchau Block is one of the last villages near the Myanmar border. As per the PRA report, the village is surrounded by 120 households. The district headquarters is 68 kilometres away. The village's eight SHGs are Banu, Jingnungja, Mohiman, Josa, Chingkho, Jongkha, Mokha, and Lamngoi. All of these SHGs are promoted and supported by NERCOMRP III Tirap and Longding.
The area's resources include mostly agricultural items such as chilly, pumpkin, ginger, maize, millet, squash, and so on, as well as non-timber products such as bamboo shoots, banana blossoms, wild edible leaves, and fruits. Village women, on the other hand, were unable to promote their locally accessible products and services due to a lack of transportation and high fares.
On the 7th of September, 2019, during a Cluster Self-Help Group Federation meeting in Pongchau hamlet, the concept for a weekly market was developed. Through the support of the Partner NGO AIDA team, SHG members from Konsa, Konnu, Pongchau, and Bonia invited Mr. Khampai Wangsa  to the meeting and expressed their willingness to sell their products, negotiated for a reasonable fare, and set the fare and marketing days.
On October 5, 2019, SHG members visited Longding District Head Quarters for the first time to market their products. Previously, the AIDA team had trained them in entrepreneurship. However, they faced challenges such as a lack of knowledge about where to market their products, how to sort and grade them, and concerns about product cost. It was their first exposure to marketing as well as their first hands-on involvement with it.
Through AIDA’s team initiatives and support, the other women around them graded and priced their products. The SHG members successfully adapted to the situation, and it only took three hours to sell all the supplies.
Observations
- Their confidence had grown
- Grading and standardisation
- Improved calculation skills
- They learnt how to negotiate with customers
- Purchases made by non-residents
Learning’s
- Following the success of the Konsa SHGs, Pongchau, Konnu, and Bonia approached the AIDA team for support and expressed their willingness to do the same.
- The SHG members acquired practical experience in marketing.
- The products were organic and tasted different because of the cold climate, and many people preferred to purchase more from SHGs.
- SHGs needed more capacity-building on value addition.
- To follow up on the profit generated on the market days,
- To discuss and share their experiences and thoughts following the marketing days, for future income-generating activities.
Ministry of Home Affairs
Advance release of funds from SDRF to State Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal
Based on the decision of National Crisis Management Committee , Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered for advance release of financial assistance of Rs. 1086 crore to 4 States , to their State Disaster Response Fund  to assist them in undertaking preventive and relief measures in response to cyclonic storm ‘FANI’.
Special Service and Features
Redressal of public grievances on passport related matters: Virtual interaction on whatsapp video call
The Regional Passport Office, Chennai is committed to redress public grievances on passport related matters. Passport grievances are currently received and attended through tele-con, emails, virtual enquiry through skype & twitter, in addition to the above mechanisms, a virtual interaction on a whatsapp video call between the Regional Passport Officer and other senior officials of passport office with passport applicants will also be conducted on every Tuesday between 12.00 hrs and 13.00 hrs, starting from 7th September, 2021. Passport applicants are hereby advised to use this facility through WhatsappNo. +917305330666.
This is stated in a press release issued by the Regional Passport Office, Chennai.
Cabinet
Cabinet approves agreement on simplification of visa requirements for travel of certain categories of citizens between India and South Africa
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the signing of Agreement between India and South Africa on simplification of visa requirements for travels of certain categories of citizens.
The Agreement aims to facilitate issuance of multiple entry visa to nationals of the two countries who wish to travel to the territory of the other country for tourism, medical, business and official purpose. Such visas are normally required to be issue for a period of up to five years within a specified time limit of five days. In cases where further scrutiny is required both sides may inform the application accordingly.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Shri Prakash Javadekar releases SOP for film exhibition
Cinema halls allowed to open with 50% seating capacity
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shri Prakash Javadekar released the Standard Operating Procedures for film exhibition here today. The SOP on preventive measures for Exhibition of Films has been prepared in consultation with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Releasing the SOP, the Minister said that as per decision of Ministry of Home Affairs, cinema halls will reopen from 15th October, 2020 and to that end Ministry of I&B has prepared this SOP.
The highlights of the guiding principles include the general principles which have been given by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare including thermal screening of all visitors/ staffs, adequate physical distancing, use of face covers/ masks, frequent hand washing, provision of hand sanitizers etc. and respiratory etiquettes specifically with regard to the exhibition of films. The Ministry has formulated the general SOPs taking into consideration international practices notified in the sector including physical distancing, entry and exit with designated queue markers, sanitization, safety of staff, contact minimization. The seating arrangements shall be restricted to 50 percent of the seating capacity. Multiplex show timings shall be staggered, so as to not have overlap of show timings. Temperature setting shall be in the range of 24°- 30°c.
The Guiding principle and SOP may be usedby all States and other stake holders and State Governments while resuming Exhibition of Films.
Exhibition of Films is a major economic activity that has contributed immensely to the GDP of our country. Given the current COVID – 19 Pandemic, it is crucial that various stake holders involved in activities of Exhibition of Films take suitable measures to restrict the transmission of the pandemic, while at the same time resuming/ conduction their operations and activities.
Ministry of Home Affairs’ vide order dated 30th September, 2020 has inter alia issued guidelines for reopening of Cinemas/ theatres/ multiplex with upto 50% of their seating capacity, in areas outside the Containment Zones only with effect from 15th October, 2020.
The detailed release can be found at the below link:
https://mib.gov.in/sites/default/files/SOP%20for%20exhibition%20of%20films.pdf
Prime Minister's Office
PM acknowledges the integration of Khelo India Certificates with DigiLocker
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi acknowledged the integration of Khelo India Certificates with DigiLocker.
In a tweet thread Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Thakur informed about the integration of Khelo India Certificates with DigiLocker.
Responding to the tweet threads by Union Minister, the Prime Minister said;
"This will be advantageous for the athletes, support staff, officials and others."DS/ST
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Ministry of Railways
Indian Railways to operationalise 2600 More Shramik Special Trains in next 10 days
The decision is going to benefit around 36 lakhs stranded migrants
Indian Railways has run 2600 Shramik Special Trains in last 23 days
Around 36 lakhs stranded migrants have been transported till now to their home States
While the country is battling with the pandemic COVID-19, Indian Railways is leaving no stone unturned to bring respite to the severely affected during this crucial time. In a constant endeavour to provide relief to migrants to reach home State,In a major decision, Ministry of Railways has decided to operationalise 2600 more Shramik Special Trains in next ten days across the country as per the needs of State Governments.This initiative is expected to benefit 36 lakh stranded passengers across the country.
It may be noted that Indian Railways started running “Shramik Special” trains from 01 May 2020, to move migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places due to lock down. These special trains are being run from point to point on the request of both the concerned State Governments as per the standard protocols for sending and receiving such stranded persons. The Railways and State Governments have appointed senior officials as Nodal Officers for coordination and smooth operation of these “Shramik Specials”.
Indian Railways has run 2600 Shramik Special Trains in last 23 days
Around 36 lakhs stranded migrants have been transported till now to their home States.
It is to be noted that apart from Shramik Special Trains, Ministry of Railways has started 15 pairs of Special Trains wef. 12.05.2020 and announced 200 train services to be started from wef 01st June, 2020.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Very encouraging response from pharmaceutical as well as the medical device industry to PLI Schemes Bulk Drugs and Medical Devices so far
Keeping in view last date as 30.11.2020 and the bank holidays from 28.11.2020 to 30.11.2020 current and prospective registrants are advised to pay application fee be through NEFT
Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Bulk Drugs and PLI Scheme for Medical Devices have shown a very encouraging response from the pharmaceutical as well as the medical device industry. The PLI Scheme for Bulk Drugs has received 247 registrations across all four categories of products out of which a maximum of 136 applicants will be selected under the Scheme. Similarly, the PLI Scheme for Medical Devices has received 28 registrations across all four target segments out of which a maximum of 28 applicants will be selected under the Scheme. IFCI Ltd. is the Project Management Agency for the schemes and all the applications are being received on its online portal.
The last date of filing the application under both the schemes is 30.11.2020.
Current and prospective registrants are advised that in view of bank holidays from 28.11.2020 to 30.11.2020, the payment of application fee may be done through the NEFT mode. The details of the bank accounts are mentioned in the respective guidelines. The team of IFCI Ltd will be available till last date of applications on the contact details mentioned on their website, to assist the applicants.
The PLI Scheme for Bulk Drugs and for Medical Devices was approved by the Government on 20.03.2020. The guidelines for implementation of both the schemes were issued on 27.07.2020 and were revised later based on the feedback received from the industry. The revised guidelines were issued on 29.10.2020.
Cabinet
Cabinet approves extension of the validity of Central Order in respect of sugar for six months
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for extending the validity of the existing Central Order dated 27.10.2016 in respect of sugar for a further period of six months from 29.04.2017 to 28.10.2017.
The main objective of the decision is to enable the State Governments to issue control order with the prior concurrence of Central Government, for fixing stock limits/licensing requirements in respect of sugar, whenever need is felt by them. This is expected to help in the efforts being taken to improve the availability of these commodities to general public at reasonable rates, and control the tendencies of hoarding and profiteering.
The current decision will be notified by the Government and communicated to all the States/UTs for further action at their end.
Background
The Cabinet in its meeting held on 27.10.2016, decided to enable the States to regulate supply, distribution, sale, production, stock, storage, purchase and movement etc, in respect of sugar for a period up to six months. Accordingly, S.O. 3341 dated 27.10.2016 was issued, for enabling administrative department, States & UTs to decide stock limits etc. on sugar upto 28.04.2017, by amending the Removal of Licensing Requirements, Stock limits and Movement restrictions on Specified Foodstuffs Order, 2016 dated 29.09.2016 notified as G.S.R. 929.
The prices of sugar are being monitored by the Department of Food & Public Distribution regularly at factory gate as well as in the domestic market. In September, 2016 it was noticed that the retail prices had shown a sudden spurt. The price rise appeared to be more on sentiment than actual shortage. In order to regulate supply of sugar and address issue of speculative prices, fixing of appropriate stock limit on need basis was essential. In addition, despite adequate availability of stocks for consumption in the current season, hoarding and consequent profiteering is anticipated due to drop in production over previous year and hence further extension of stock limit would be needed.
To support the sugar sector, the Government had recently extended soft loan assistance of Rs.4305 crore to the industry which has been directly credited to farmers account on behalf of sugar mills through banks benefitting about 32 lakh farmers. Also a performance based production subsidy has been extended @Rs.4.50 per quintal of cane crushed which was directly credited to the farmers account on behalf of sugar mills.
In order to maintain domestic prices at reasonable levels, the Government has allowed import of a restricted quantity of 5 lakh MT of raw sugar at zero duty by millers/refiners having their own refining capacity. This restricted quantity will help the sugar industry to augment their liquidity and enable them to pay cane dues of farmers.
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